Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information handling systems. More specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to heat spreaders used with information handling systems.
Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems, such as tablet type information handling system, are becoming smaller and thinner. As these systems become smaller and thinner, the effect of proximity becomes important especially for various key components of the information handling system. For example, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) type display device is often very sensitive to heat and also often will not be having fan due to thin nature of the system. Additionally, information handling systems which include OLED type display devices may be flexible with a usage case that may include repetitive bending of the housing of the information handling system. Often times, it becomes important to provide thermal heat spreading high in a first plane (e.g., an XY plane) but may need to stop or slow down in a second plane (e.g., a −XY plane, i.e., in plane positioned in an opposite direction of the first plane). This issue may be present due to another heating element present in the second plane.
Another example of a component in which heat spreading is important are batteries included within the information handling system. As products become thinner it is desirable to reduce external packaging around the battery cells. For example, certain known batteries are encapsulated with Mylar type insulating plastic with a frame or may be fitted with a steel plate to minimize battery thickness while meeting safety criteria. Such a battery structure is often sufficient for battery internal performance but may not be sufficient to reduce heat dissipation effects from an external radiation source such as from wireless charging or other antenna structure such as a microwave (mm-wave) type communication antenna. The amount of heat the battery is exposed to can often become worse over time causing the battery to swell. Additionally, exposure to heat can further accelerate the amount of swelling, leading to battery performance degradation. Certain known batteries include a gap (which may be up to 10% of the size of the battery) for swelling. Accordingly, with certain battery components it is desirable to provide a heat spreader which is elastic and strong while spreading heat in a first direction (e.g., an XY direction) but slows down heat dissipation in another direction (e.g., in a Z direction).
It is known to use copper (Cu) and graphene based heat spreaders. Cu based heat spreaders conduct heat in all direction equally, while graphene based heat spreaders spread heat in X-Y plane almost 1000× higher than Z direction.